as in bribe
something given or promised in order to improperly influence a person's conduct or decision
the customs official let us know that he might be prepared to look the other way if an appropriate backhander was slipped into his palm
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Recent Examples of backhander
Sprung on a breakaway, Boldly’s crafty backhander slipped past the Edmonton goalie on the glove side less than five minutes into the game.
—
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025
Verhaeghe ballooned the lead to 5-2 with a backhander from in close at 6:37 to put the match away.
—Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025
But Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor answered right back with a beauty of his own, roofing a backhander past Knight to seal the win.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
But the Panthers answered 34 seconds later with a backhander.
—Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for backhander
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 20 Dec. 2025
Verhaeghe ballooned the lead to 5-2 with a backhander from in close at 6:37 to put the match away.
—Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025
But Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor answered right back with a beauty of his own, roofing a backhander past Knight to seal the win.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
But the Panthers answered 34 seconds later with a backhander.
—Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for backhander
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backhander
bribe
Noun
-
The leader of the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies, which began in South Korea and has spread worldwide, is also on trial over the bribes.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
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Adani and several other defendants are accused of having paid Indian government officials more than $250 million in bribes to obtain solar energy supply contracts worth more than $2 billion in profits.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backhander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backhander. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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